Russia News

Greenpeace activists protesting against a proposed U.S. missile defense radar in the Czech Republic declared the 'founding of a new state' called Peaceland on Monday.

Peaceland is located in the Brdy military zone, where the radar is to be stationed, around 90 kms (some 55 miles) southwest of the Czech capital, Prague. Some 20 Greenpeace activists have been occupying the territory since April 28.

"This is a state whose citizens are against the installment of the U.S. radar in Brdy. The state has its own flag, anthem, declaration of independence and borders," a Greenpeace spokeswoman and citizen of Peaceland, Lenka Borakova, said.

No arms are allowed on the territory of Peaceland, activists added.

Warsaw hopes Moscow will enlarge the number of accredited livestock produce suppliers to Russia, a Polish Embassy official said on Monday.

So far, only six Polish meat companies have been permitted to supply Russia with beef and pork, nine with poultry, 20 with dairy produce and one with egg products. Four companies have a license to store agricultural products prior to onward shipment to Russia.

The third Greco-Russian business forum has been held in Moscow. The event is aimed at improving commercial ties between the two countries.

In a speech at the event on Monday, Russia’s Minister of Agriculture, Alexey Gordeev, said Greece and the Netherlands were the only countries that had a common action plan with Russia.

The head of Greek delegation, Deputy Foreign Minister Petros Dukas, described Russia as “a great and friendly country”.

Two Russian emergencies ministry aircraft are heading to China with aid on board for those affected by the devastating earthquake that hit the Sichuan province in the country's southwest on May 12.

"Two Il-76 transport aircraft took off at 17.17 and 17.30 [13:17 and 13:30 GMT]. They will deliver multi-person tents with a total weight of about 60 tons. These are the eleventh and twelfth flights of Russian Emergency Situations Ministry planes to China," a ministry spokesman said.

He also said Russian planes had so far delivered 232 tons of humanitarian aid to China since the quake hit the region. A Mi-26 transport helicopter has also been working in the area, making 52 flights and transferring 473 tons of cargo. The spokesman added that Russian doctors had rendered assistance to almost 1,500 of those people injured by the quake.

The Czech Social Democratic Party is supporting two hunger strikers in their campaign against a U.S. radar base in the country. The pair starved themselves for three weeks, despite warnings from doctors. But with their protest now set to receive political support, they no longer need to go to extreme lengths to be heard.

At their party conference, the Social Democrats suggested a chain hunger strike against the U.S. plans. The Green party also supports the actions of Jan Tamas and Jan Bednar.

Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan, has won the right to host the 2013 Summer Universiade. Students from all over the world take part in this sporting and cultural event, considered to be second in importance only to the Olympic Games.

The decision was taken by the Executive Committee of the International University Sports Federation on Saturday in Brussels. Kazan was chosen ahead of Gwangjiu in South Korea and Vigo in Spain.

Hiddink's contract runs to the 2010 World Cup Guus Hiddink's agent has ruled out any possibility of the Dutchman taking over as manager of Chelsea.

Hiddink has been linked with replacing the sacked Avram Grant as Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is Russian.

But Hiddink said: "I have just given my word to the Russian football president and he to me that we will continue until the end of the 2010 World Cup.

Police detained thirteen people at an unauthorized gay parade in the center of Moscow, a spokesman for the Russian capital's interior department said on Sunday.

The gay parade, which took place on Moscow's Tverskaya Street on June 1, gathered around 200 people, mostly journalists and curious passers-by, the spokesman said.

Moscow has no reasons to suspect Iran in secret attempts to develop nuclear weapons, Russia's prime minister said in an interview with French daily Le Monde released on Saturday.

Tehran rejected on Tuesday the UN nuclear watchdog's new report on the country's controversial nuclear program, saying concerns over alleged nuclear weapons research are ungrounded and reiterated that Iran's right to uranium enrichment is non-negotiable.

"I do not think the Iranians are seeking to develop a nuclear bomb," Vladimir Putin said. "We have no reasons to think so."

"Formally, from a legal standpoint, Iran has so far not violated anything," he said. "It even has the right to uranium enrichment."

Russia is against NATO expansion toward its borders in principle, the prime minister said in an interview with French daily Le Monde released on Saturday.

"We are against NATO's enlargement on the whole, in principle," Vladimir Putin said commenting on Ukraine and Georgia's drive to join the alliance.

Units of Russia's Railroad Troops have started rebuilding railroad infrastructure on the territory of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia under a presidential decree on humanitarian aid to the self-proclaimed republic, the Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

"In accordance with the Russian president's decree on humanitarian aid to Abkhazia and a request by the Abkhazian authorities, units from the Russian Railroad Troops and special non-military equipment have been dispatched to rebuild railroads and infrastructure [in Abkhazia]," the ministry said in a statement.

Russian-made rocket launchers and unmanned spy planes pose the biggest threat to American troops in the short-term, according to a report by the U.S. Army. The assessment looked at affordable weaponry that could target U.S. soldiers in future conflicts, the Army Times reports.

The study called "Asymmetric Threats to Current and Future U.S. Forces" said America’s enemies are likely to use more lethal weapons and advanced combat tactics in the future.

Georgia will stop sending unmanned planes above its breakaway republic Abkhazia. The decision was made after a meeting of the UN Security Council called at Georgia's request. However, Georgia says it will start using the drones again if it thinks it's necessary.

Russia's Federal Security Service has declassified documents it says show links between Ukrainian nationalists and German Nazis before and during the Second World War.

The papers have been made available by the Central Archive of the Security Service and posted on the website of Russia’s Foreign Ministry.

According to the documents, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists existed and was supported by Germany well before the invasion of Poland in 1939.

Kyrgyzstan is interested in the continued presence of Russian naval forces on its territory, the country's top military official said on Friday.

Maj. Gen. Boris Yugai, chief of the General Staff of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces, met with Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky, commander of the Russian Navy, who is currently on a visit to Kyrgyzstan to discuss the expansion of military-technical cooperation and strengthening of regional security with Kyrgyz top military officials.

The Sokol aircraft plant, based in Nizhny Novgorod, central Russia, is to launch production of the MiG-29M/M2 Fulcrum fighter plane, the company's general director said on Friday.

Mikhail Shibayev said the first aircraft to be produced is planned to be completed in the second quarter of 2010.

MiG's general director, Anatoly Belov, said the new aircraft will use the most advanced technology, specifically the Zhuk-M onboard radar and cutting-edge avionics.

Accumulated foreign investment in Russia has exceeded $220 billion, a Russian deputy prime minister said at an international economic conference in Moscow on Friday.

"We expect more foreign investors to come to Russia. So far accumulated foreign investment has exceeded $220 billion," Alexander Zhukov said.

Transport, mineral production, power generation, the social sector and the real estate market have been the major areas for investment, Zhukov said.

Barack Obama is Europe’s preferred candidate to win the U.S. presidential election in November, according to a British newspaper poll. The survey also reveals a striking level of anti-American feeling across the countries surveyed.

The poll was carried out in Russia, Italy, Germany, France and the UK. It found there were significantly more Obama fans in these countries.

Two campaigners in Prague are taking anti-radar base protests to another level. They’ve been on hunger strike for 18 days as the Czech Republic nears agreement with the U.S. to host part of its missile defence shield.

Jan Bednar from the ‘No to the Base’ campaign group has lost 10 kilograms in weight in just over two weeks. His liver is failing and jaundice is setting in, so doctors are urging him to end his hunger strike. But he’s refusing. He may look weak, but his will is strong.

“I will continue as long as I can, because I want people to realise that our government is putting us in a seriously dangerous situation through its negotiations on the U.S. radar base,” he says.